About This Coffee
This community lot comes from Ecoterra, a coffee-producer cooperative in Colombia’s storied Nariño department. Ecoterra’s 117 members cultivate coffee on small farms that dot the verdant slopes of the mountains ranging from 1,800 to 2,100masl. Amidst the lush greenery, coffee plants grow organically alongside crops of corn, bananas, beans, and onions, painting a vibrant tapestry of agricultural bounty.
With an average temperature of 20ºC and an annual rainfall of 844 millimeters, the microclimate is ripe for quality coffee growth. Producers abide by the traditional semiannual fertilization practice, where trees receive organic nutrition once before they flower, and again after cherries are harvested.
Nariño is a small department on the corner of Colombia that borders Ecuador and the Pacific Ocean. The region sits just a hair above the equator, and some of the highest-grown coffee in the world is found here. The towering altitude, framed by warm days and cool nights, is the perfect environment for slow coffee maturation and concentrated sugar development in coffee cherries.
In Nariño, it’s not unusual for producers to have their own micro-mill. Harvesting, floating, depulping, fermentation, washing and drying generally all take place at the farm level.
History of Colombian Coffee
As with many coffee origins, it is believed that coffee was first brought to Colombia by priests, arriving, perhaps, within a decade or two after coffee first came to the Americas via the Caribbean in the first half of the 17th century. It was likely a garden crop grown for local consumption and barter for decades. Unlike other coffee regions, we have the story of a priest named Francisco Romero, who could be called the father of commercial coffee cultivation in Colombia. The folkloric tale goes that in the early 1800s, Father Francisco, hearing confessions in the northeastern town of Salazar de la Palmas, assigned planting coffee to his parishioners as penance for their sins. The Archbishop of Colombia heard about this and ordered all priests to adopt the practice. Commercial production of coffee expanded quickly, moving into regions where the growing conditions were ideal.
Growing Coffee in Colombia
Even though it’s been 4,000 years, the soil resulting from the last major eruption of Tolima is still considered “young soil,” filled with nutrients that are no longer found at the same levels in old soil. There is a long list of elements on offer in volcanic soil that are fading or absent in other soils, such as high levels of potassium and nitrogen. Also present is something called “Boron,” which arrived from outer space a long time ago, and is important to cell walls, the creation of enzymes, and the production of flowers and fruit, meaning Boron contributes to yield. Beyond the nutrients, the structure of volcanic soil is also beneficial to coffee growing. It can soak up and hold moisture while, at the same time, facilitating good drainage so water doesn’t pool, which is not good for coffee plant roots. Coffee plants like to take a drink, then take a break. Also, volcanic soils are usually found on an incline, which also helps with drainage.
Country: Colombia
Region: Nariño
Farm: 25 Ecoterra smallholder farmers
Elevation: 1800-2100 MASL
Variety: Caturra, Catillo, Colombia
Processing: Washed
Tasting notes: A heavier bodied coffee with notes of black cherry, grape, plum, caramel, & honey.